Antijounce-spring construction



J. J. REYNOLDS.

ANTIJOUNCE SPRING CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 15, 1918.

1,35 1,968. PatentedSept. 7, 1920.

A 73 l a: 2: 5

awuawtoz JOHN J. REYNOLDS, or u, rumors.

' ANTIJ'O'UNCE-SIE 'RING CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 15, 1918. Serial No. 217,343.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. REYNOLDS, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Rantoul, in the county of Champaign and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Antijounce- Spring Construction, of which the following is a specification. I

The invention has for an object to en'ect an improvement in the mounting of vehicle bodies upon the running gear and particularly to provide a spring adjustable to meet the requirements of various loads upon the samebody. It is also a purpose to present a mounting permitting the use of levers with springs engaged therewith to support the body, while at the same timeretaining the 'advantages of three point suspension. It is an important advantage of the invention that the body may be held in a fixed hori zontal relation with respect. to the axle although supporting levers are employed pivot-ally connected centrally of the body or adj acent the longitudinal medial axis of the vehicle. It is a further advantage of the invention that adjustments for various loads mays be quickly made without requiring special fastenings or looking devices while at the same time insuring the device against casual disturbance of the adjustment.

Another advantage of the structure shown is that the vehicle body will be held securely against lateral swing on the running gear; although lateral shocks to the running gear will be cushioned.

Further objects, advantages and features of invention will appear from the construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and shown in the drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a vehicle mounted in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a front view thereof,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

There is illustrated a vehicle including a body element 10 of any usual construction, a rear axleelement 11, and a front axle 12. The rear axle 11 is provided with anchor lugs 13, from which there depend swinging links 14 on each side of the axle 11. These links are connected to respective furcations 15 of the bifurcated lower ends of main body carrying levers 16. The levers 1-6 from the opposite ends of the axle are crossed centrally over the-axle, and pivotally connected by means of a ball bearing joint 18 of a suitable form. The levers are extended beyond thls oint, providing body arms 19 upon the outer ends of which the body 10 is supporte d. In the present instance the support consists of a leaf spring 20, disposed for flexure laterally of the body, the springs being secured at their upper heavy parts to suitable parts of the body frame, in the present I instance represented by standards 21. The springs curve slightly outward and the lever arms 19 have their end portions connected pivotally to the lower thin ends of the springs. The leaves of the springs are preferably of a thickness and breadth to resist flexure in a direction longitudinally of the body 10, and are disposed to flex approximately in a vertical plane at right angles to the body. In the present embodiment of the invention, the rear axle element 11 is in the form of a housing for a live axle having a. differential inclosed within an enlargement 22 of the housing at its central part. In order, therefore, to permit the levers 16 full movement, they are each bowed upwardly at the middle of the vehicle, as.

at'23, the pivotal connection 18 between the levers being made intermediately of these upwardly bowed portions. Intermediately of the lengths of the lower parts of the levers 16, rearwardly projecting lugs 24 are formed, the outer end portions of which are continued vertically downward. to form spring anchorage arms 25, upon which there are slidable anchor blocks 26, having at their inner sides suitable apertured lugs in which the outer ends of respective helical springs 27 are engaged, the inner ends of the springs being connected to respective -levers. -The anchor blocks 26 are formed with interiorly threaded lugs 29 upon their outer sides, in which there are engaged re spective screws 30 mounted revolubly 'in suitable ears 31 formed adjacent the bases Patented Sept. '7, 1920.,

of the arms 25, the screws 30 being suitably held against longitudinal movement in the ears and having cranks 82 at their upperends for operation.

The mountingv of the body at the forward end is similar to that before described, with certain exceptions involving a difference 1n function and peculiar correlatlon between the two mountings having certain advantages of importance as will be readily understood. The axle 12 in this instance is formed with integral lugs 13, upon which links 14 are hung, corresponding to those 14 before described, and furcated levers 16 are connected'at their lower ends to the links 14 and centrally pivoted at their upper ends in the pivot casting 35, secured to the underside of the frame of the body 10, preferably by means of a suitable ball bearing, of which a number of forms are available for such use. The levers 16 are formed with downwardly extended spring anchorage arms 25, corresponding to those 25 before mentloned, between which a single spring 27 is connected, by means of the anchor blocks 26 slidable upon the anchor arms.

Since the necessity for adjustment of the forward springs in certain types of cars will be negligible, owing to the fact that the load is principally carried over the rear axle and the load carried by the front axle comprises principally the motor, dr1v1ng mechanism, fuel supply, control, seat, and driver, the screw adjustment shown upon the rear mounting may be omitted.

In the present instance, one lever 16 18 formed at its intermediate part 23 with parallel parts in each lever spaced sufficiently to receive the other therethrough, the intermediate parts being suitably broadened to give them the necessary strength. At the rear side of the levers 16, lugs 40 are formed, between and to which a rebound check device 41 is mounted, preferably constructed in accordance with the details of my application Serial Number 167,422, filed May 9th, 1917. The lugs 40 may be extended rearwardly a sufficient distance to enable the device 41 to clear the differential housing 22. The levers 16 are provided on the rear side with lugs 42 between which a rebound check 43 is secured. The levers 16 may preferably consist of parallel bars located at the front and rear side of the axle 12, and the arms 25 and spring 27 may be duplicated with the necessary connections. It is thought that but one rebound check will be required, however.

It will be seen that by the construction provided the front axle will have free movement on the pivot of the levers 16 at their upper ends, relatively to the body 10 when raised at either end, but the construction at the rear will hold the rear axle element approximately in parallel relation to the body so that the latter is prevented from rocking objectionably. \Vhen the vehicle is to be used for carrying light loads, the screws 30 are manipulated to move the anchor blocks 26 toward the upper ends of the arms 25, and when heavy loads are to be carried the adjustment is of an opposite character, so that greater resistance will be offered by the springs 27 to downward movement of the body. This adjustment may be quickly made, as will be apparent and will be useful in obviating the necessity for providing such heavy springs upon the vehicle whereby it might be subjected to undue jar and vibrations when carrying light loads, in order to have the maximum capacity for its heavier load. The mounting has the further advantage also of great flexibility in its support and the possibility of great strength at the same time.

What is claimed:

1. In a vehicle, a body, a front and a rear axle, two support levers pivoted intermediately of the body over each axle and extending divergently downward, laterall movable supports on each end of each axle connected to the outer ends of the respective levers constructed to permit considerable lateral movement of the levers with respect to the axle springs coengaged between the levers of each axle, the levers adjacent one axle having respective upper extensions toward the sides of the vehicle opposite their lower ends and weight supporting connections between the said extensions and the body; whereby the body may rock relatively to the said one axle, said body being pivotally supported directly upon the pivot of the levers adjacent the other of said axles fixed within certain limits with respect to the horizontal.

2. In a vehicle, a body, an axle, pivotally connected levers having divergent lever parts connected to the axle for support and lateral movement thereon, and very stiff leaf springs on the body extending and connected to parts on respective levers disposed in a direction not to yield to relative vertical movement between the body and levers.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN J. REYNOLDS. Witnesses:

VVILLIAM A. MoLLoY, Zoe BENJAMIN. 

